Escapism

Prologue

Ages:
Tommy 11 (going on 12)
Wilbur 15
Techno 15 (half a year older than Wil, and doesn't let Wil forget)

TW for prologue: Death, drug overdose, and abuse

Tommy couldn't remember much of that moment. Every time he tried to recall memories of that day and the days before that, it all came up as spotty. What he could remember was his big brother Wilbur dragging him out of the house as he cried. He couldn't remember what they looked like, but he did know that that was when he found his parents lying dead in their room from an overdose. He had been the one to find them. He only knew the vague facts that Wilbur had told him, he couldn't remember it at first hand.

Wilbur had told him it was fine that he didn't remember it. He told him that everything was fine and that they would be going to a better place that was new and filled with adventure. Tommy had grinned at that and clung to his words as his older brother led them to their new home, which would be theirs. Wilbur had brought him to a place with a kind man who seemed to never stop smiling, it was as if he were wearing a mask with the way the smile never seemed to drop. The man had shown them the room that he and his brother would share and told them that they could call him Dream.

"Wilby! Wilby!" Tommy was quick to jump on the bed once Dream left them to settle in, "Is this the place you were talking about?"

Wilbur sat on his bed across the room, "Yup, pretty cool, right? Dream seems pretty nice."

Tommy's memory might be spotty, but Wilbur's wasn't. Wilbur remembered how their parents were neglectful druggies. Dream had seemed very pleasant, welcoming them into his home with a kind smile. Something their parents had never done.

"So this is our adventure, our newfound land? What should we call it?" The boy grinned as he jumped on the bed.

"Hmmm, not sure, what do you think we should call it?"

Tommy stopped jumping and took a moment to think as he stood on the bed, balancing his weight, "How about Manburg?"

The elder snorted, "Manburg sounds so vulgar... how about L'manburg, sounds far more respectable and elegant."

The boy looked to his brother with bright eyes and continued jumping, "Yes! L'manburg, perfect! Now, for our first business, we need to elect a leader."

"I'll be the leader because I'm older."

"Aww, no fair! I want to be the leader!"

"You can be the second in command, my right-hand man. You can rule over our subjects with me."

The boy seemed to perk up at the compromise, but then narrowed his eyes, "Our subjects?"

Wilbur gestured to the other's stuffed animals on his bed, the stuffed animals being a cow named Henry, a moth named clementine, a llama named Clarencio, and his personal favorite, the blue sheep he had given to him named Friend.

The grin returned on his face and he jumped extra hard to make all of the stuffed animals bounce with him, "Okay, I'm second in command!"

"Hey, don't jump on the bed, Tommy."

Tommy stops jumping and turns his head to look at the doorway, seeing Dream leaning against the doorframe. He seemed to be pout at the order.

"I shall add a new law to L'manburg. The citizens of L'manburg do not follow the laws of the other lands."

Dream furrowed his brow at that, "L'manburg? What's that?"

Tommy smiled, "The country that Wilbur and I run!"